


Ugly Thing

by iloveyoudie



Series: Morseverse Prompt Fills [3]
Category: Endeavour (TV)
Genre: Gen, Jealousy, M/M, Period-Typical Homophobia, Pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-24
Updated: 2018-08-24
Packaged: 2019-07-01 23:31:10
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 472
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15784374
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/iloveyoudie/pseuds/iloveyoudie
Summary: Max looks away as something ugly rises in his gut and he drinks it down with the end of his beer.





	Ugly Thing

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt fill for tumblr - Max and Morse - 'Jealousy'

Max watched Morse at the bar, watched him shift in his ill fitting suit and awkwardly fiddle for his wallet. He’s all angles and twitching responses in a crowd, darting eyes and hawkish leaning. He gets the bartender’s eye and flashes him a quick two on his fingers as an auburn haired girl settles up beside him. She smiles politely, sees his face, and then flutters prettily with interest. **  
**

Max looks away as something ugly rises in his gut and he drinks it down with the end of his beer. The empty glass feels weightier as it’s drained and he can’t help looking back. Morse is having two pints set in front of him but he doesn’t initially notice because he’s talking to the girl. He’s a bit awkward and she’s a bit too keen and with no drink, Max swallows thickly and tries to listen to Jim and Shirley talk about office drama. Normally he’d be rapt with attention for the gossip, his weakness, but unfortunately a more glaring weakness was taking control.

Morse was taking the pints now and the girl was leaning to him to say something. Max didn’t need to hear her to know she was making him an offer and the ugly thing inside him tells him to look away but he can’t seem to do it. Morse shifts in his awkward suit, offers an angular shrug and by his body language he’s extracting himself, offering apologies, and he can almost see the twist of his lips  _‘-with my friends, I’m sorry’_ and Morse glances back to the table and meets Max’s eyes. It was his own fault for staring and he’s not exactly given himself away by looking, but Max feels a guilty flash of heat at being caught.

The girl doesn’t seem devastated and Max feels the ugly thing inside of him recede and by the time Morse is back to the table, he’s alright again. Max blinks as a pint is set down in front of him and the lean man fits himself back between Max and Strange

“What’s this then?” Max’s brow furrowed.

“You were low,” Morse looked at Max’s freshly empty glass and then play-reached for the beer back, “Unless you don’t want it.”

“I was only basking in the small miracle, Morse.  _You_  buying a round? You missed my birthday by six months.” Max smirked and curled the glass away from the detective’s long grasping fingers.

Everything is back to normal. The ugly thing is asleep again and when Max sees that girl across the pub he feels nothing at all for her. It was wasn’t about her or anyone else. It never was and never would be.

He was jealous of her freedom to approach, her bravery to ask, and he knew that he could never ever do the same.


End file.
